Liverpool: Possible targets

With the pursuit of Henrikh Mkhitaryan ending in disappointment, Liverpool have been forced to look elsewhere for another attacking option.

The failure to sign Mkhitaryan may actually be a blessing in disguise, as he was injured in only his second pre-season game for Borussia Dortmund.

His absence from the Liverpool line-up next season means that a new player must be signed in order to provide that spark.

Seeing as this transfer window has been one of the most open in a long time, money might tempt any player to sign up for Brendan Rodgers' project.

Liverpool have been quiet in the transfer market of late after a strong start, but there are three players who Liverpool should focus on so that missing out on Mkhitaryan is nothing to worry about.

The first priority for the Reds should be attempting to lure Christian Eriksen to Anfield. Eriksen has been developing his talents with Ajax over the past few seasons, and has taken a different route than many of today's stars by choosing to remain with his club and develop further before making the leap to one of Europe's major leagues.

He is an extremely versatile player, who has played all through-out the midfield, on the wings, and even up front as a lone striker.

His passing is accurate and deadly in the final third; he creates almost twice as many as he scores, and his goal output has been steadily increasing as he has improved over the last few campaigns, helping Ajax to three consecutive Eredivisie titles.

Heralded as one of the brightest talents in the game today, the signing of Eriksen would be a huge step for Liverpool in returning to the pinnacle of English and European football.

An alternative to Eriksen would be Bernard, the 20-year-old Brazilian midfield player from Atletico Mineiro. Bernard is also another promising young talent, who has been pursued by many of Europe's top clubs.

His efforts have helped guide Mineiro to the Copa Libertadores final, and he has had the privilege of being under the wing of the great Ronaldinho for the past season.

He is very much like Coutinho: creative, unselfish, but he also has that killer instinct to either play a perfect final pass or to finish a move himself.

His brilliant displays earned him a place on the successful Brazilian Confederation's Cup squad, and although he did not manage many minutes in the tournament, the fact that he was called up by Luis Felipe Scolari says a lot about how good he really is.

A third option would be Frank Acheampong, who was recently one of the stars of the Under-20 World Cup in Turkey. Acheampong's performances were spectacular; his pace and stamina were crucial to Ghana's third place finish, and his efforts and assists guided Ghana to a dramatic win over Chile in the quarter-finals.

Liverpool may not be rumoured with him, but it would be a smart move to inquire about his availability. His age and skill fit the bill for what Liverpool have been looking for of late, and his addition to the squad would inject some serious pace and add the goals Rodgers wants.

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DISCLAIMER

This article has been written by a member of the GiveMeSport Writing Academy and does not represent the views of
GiveMeSport.com or SportsNewMedia. The views and opinions expressed are solely that of the author credited at the top of this article.
GiveMeSport.com and SportsNewMedia do not take any responsibility for the content of its contributors.

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